Secrets of Discretion
by Countess Vlad Dracula
Summary: After the failed attempt to save Desmond Miles from Abstergo Industries, the local assassins ask for the assistance from a modern-day master assassin, Nina Karth. But little does she know, this mission will change her life... Forever.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed in anyway, shape, or form.

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_There are many secrets that pollute the minds of men and women of the modern world. Secrets of dishonesty, greed, and deceit. But what we hold in our hearts and minds are the ways of discretion. We are a secret unto ourselves and we live in the unseen world._

The wise teachings of Nina's deceased mentor echoed through her mind as she watched the shadowed rooftop of Abstergo Industries from her perch on a nearby building. Never had a moment needed more discretion and reliance on her skill as an assassin than her current mission. Her orders were plain and simple: rescue a man named Desmond Miles from the clutches of Abstergo. Though it sounded simple, the actual rescue would provide quite a challenge. Nina had to vigorously studied her target for several days; finding the floor plan of the building, keeping a record of where and when each guard was to be posted, and planning an extraction and escape plan.

As she watched the guards pace back and forth, unaware of their impending doom that would soon fall upon them, the master assassin glanced at the anxious fledgling assassin beside her. Like her mentor before her, she was now responsible for the upbringing of an apprentice. The novice, Aiden, had just barely sprouted into manhood and had immense raw talent that needed to be harnessed. This would be his third mission as a newly accepted blade and it was unfortunate he did not have more experience under his belt. Nina had taken great care in equipping Aiden with as many tools and weapons to ensure that he had a chance of surviving. But her on the other hand had traveled light with only two silenced pistols, a long dagger on her back, several throwing daggers in her high boots, and her two prized hidden blades on each forearm. Her fighting style was more of an old, antique way of delivering death and did not require the many useless gadgets of today's world. But she could not take the chance with her newly trained apprentice and therefore she had to make sure he would not be the brainless idiot she knew he was very much capable of being. Nina would not have brought him at all but her leader of her village had commanded it. But then again she was never known to follow the little insignificant rules set upon her. Of course, she followed the three tenets of the Creed but that was about as far as her obedience could go. She did her missions as she pleased taking no care in however brutal or gruesome that may be and was often reprimanded. Plus, she never wore the attire of the Clan like Aiden (White apparel), and instead wore black clothing with a hooded coat. Her rebellious nature earned her the title "The Disobedient One" in her small community.

Suddenly, the lights that illuminated the rooftop the two assassins overlooked turned off, casting the two guards into utter darkness. Nina launched herself from her current position, withdrew a hidden blade and soundlessly lodged it into the throat of the nearest guard. A thud to her left reassured her that Aiden had also eliminated his prey. They crept quickly to the door leading to the inside but Nina stopped Aiden before they could continue.

"What?" he questioned, looking down at the gloved hand on his arm.

"I want you to recite the plan before we proceed," she stated.

"Why? We don't have the time to-"

"Aiden."

"Ok, fine! We're gonna go down these stairs till the 30th floor, where we're gonna split up and you go and get that guy..."

"Desmond."

"Desmond! While I set up the harnesses on the floor bellow for our escape," he finished, with a tone that consisted of boredom and spiked Nina's annoyance.

"Remember, if I am caught you must leave without me," she said, looking at him intensely if somehow by telepathy, he could understand the magnitude of the importance of this mission.

"Ya, ya," Aiden sighed, rolling his eyes, "Stop tryin' to be so noble."

"And kill anyone that gets in the way," she said in a cold voice. Aiden's body tensed as he slowly looked at his mentor. This had been a large issue in the past couple missions. Yes, he had taken the life's of guards and destined targets but he had a problem killing anyone that could have the possibility of being a potential threat or continuing the works of evil men in a chance that they may be of a good nature. "Now is the time for you to take another step in your tutelage," Nina whispered as she reached for the door, "Are you ready, Novice?"

Aiden's face quickly set into a scowl at the jest, making Nina smirk with a grim satisfaction. She needed him to be hard, calloused so as not to feel pity for anyone in the building. "Ya, I'm ready," he grunted.

"Good. I will not slow down for you," she said, earning her another glare.

Their footsteps remained unheard as the mentor and her apprentice descended to the 30th level of the building. "Be careful, Aiden," said Nina as he continued on and she passed through the door leading to the research facility. The floor, fortunately, seemed to be deserted. It was only the early hours of the morn and the assassin had not expected anyone to be here around this time. She made her way down the hall but stopped unexpectedly when a man in a white lab coat stepped out of a room further down.

"Hey, you! Have you any idea why the power has gone out in this building?" he said, gesturing towards her. Nina smirked and approach the man.

"Well, it seems that there are some things scientist do not know," she said tauntingly. The man's brow furrowed in confusion but was never able to voice his questions, seeing as a blade was plunged up through his jaw. Nina grabbed the man before he fell and deposited his body in the room he had recently occupied, closing the door.

She continued onward, and found a conference room void of people, save one. Nina entered the room and the woman already occupying it turned towards her.

"Nina," the researcher said bowing her head in a sign of respect, "It's a pleasure to be in your presence."

The assassin could not help but scoff at the complement, "I don't hear that often," she remarked.

"I'm just glad that we could have your expertise with us. It's not often that we ask for help from other Enclaves. But since our own forces failed today to rescue Desmond-"

"Let us continue," interrupted Nina, impatience setting in," We do not have time for chit chat. Where is this Mr. Miles?"

"He is through here," Lucy said, looking somewhat hurt by Nina's interruption as she swiped her ID card to open the sliding door to an adjacent room.

"Since you've shut down the power, shouldn't these doors be unable to function?" questioned Nina.

"They run on a separate power grid for occasions such as these," she replied, leading her into a vast room, filled with scientific equipment, along with one particular device: the Animus. The assassin stopped to inspect the hated machine, the latest project of these mad Templar scientists. Luckily for them, her orders where only to help the local assassins and rescue the experiment, not to destroy the method.

"I've heard the stories about you," Lucy said, coming along side Nina, " And I must ask, were you really taught the ways of the ancient assassin's? They say your mentor loved the older ways more than the newer."

In response, the master assassin raised her left hand. Lucy gasped slightly as she studied the stub of a once intact ring finger but quickly recovered herself.

"Desmond rests in here," said Lucy, motioning Nina to join her at another sliding door for which she punched in a security password.

"Is he aware of this rescue?" she asked, as the open door revealed a drooling man fast asleep in bed.

"Yes and no. He knows that we are trying to get him out of here but he thought that this afternoon was going to be our only attempt," the researcher stepped back," I must leave now. If they find me here with you it will blow my cover and we will lose everything."

Nina nodded and Lucy left as the assassin entered the room. Having no time or patience, she kicked the bed which rattled the frame and awoke the man.

He jerked into a sitting position and rubbed his eyes. "Whoa, Doc. Are we tryin' out new ways of getting me up?" he asked and opened his eyes. He was instantly confused when he saw Nina standing there instead of "Doc" but as he studied her more and his eyes fell upon the missing ring finger on her left hand, his face changed to shock.

"Your an assassin..." Desmond whispered, getting up from the bed, " Are you one of the assassins that tried to rescue me from earlier?"

"I am not."

"Then you must be here to kill me," he said, glancing at the door, probably planning to run. To this, Nina was slightly shocked that he had come to such a conclusion.

"Trust me....," she replied, " If I had come here to kill you, you would already be dead. I'm here to get you out of here. But we must get moving if we wish to escape unnoticed," she said as she walked out of the room followed closely by Desmond.

"How are we gettin' out of here?" he asked, following her into the conference room.

"You'll see."

As she approached the doors to the hall she stopped. Footsteps. The sound of a hammer being pulled back. Nina quickly switch to her Eagle Vision to find five glowing auras on the opposite side of the door.

"What is it?' Desmond asked. Nina put a finger to her lips. "Get away from the door," she whispered, pulling herself back out of her vision.

Once she was satisfied that Desmond was far enough away, she drew one of her pistols and ran towards the sliding doors, activating them.

The affect was immediate. The five soldiers that had stationed themselves in front of the door rained bullets once it opened but Nina was upon them before they could land a clear shot. Leaping into the air, she shot two men point blank. Landing behind another soldier, she forced her hidden blade into the man's back and severed the spinal cord. In dealing with the last two, she unsheathed her dagger from her back and with a few swift slices, they laid motionless on the floor.

"Come, Mr. Miles," she called as she sheathed her dagger and handed Desmond her pistol which he took with uncertain hands, "It's time to run."

They took off down the hall and descended the stairwell to the 29th floor. Nina slipped into her Eagle Vision once again and felt a small sense of dread set into the pit of her stomach. Numerous auras of red littered the room and among them one blue shine. Aiden.

The assassin silently cursed to herself, this mission was not going at all the way she had planned it.

"Desmond Miles, I'm afraid I have failed you," Nina whispered, disappointed in herself beyond comprehension.

"What do you mean?" he asked, fear mingling with sadness in his eyes.

"There are many soldiers up ahead and I do not think escape may be as less painful as I had imagined it," she turned to face him. Desmond sighed, and rubbed his face with his hand.

"Why is all this happening to me?!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in rage. Nina placed her four fingered hand on one of his tall shoulders making him look at her.

"Do not despair now. We still might have one way of getting out of this," she assured him, looking intently into his dark eyes.

"Really? And how is that?"

"Doing what we were born to do... Kill."

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Reviews are welcomed!


	2. Chapter 2

_If you find that you are at your wits end, and cannot go on without exposing yourself, let them have the satisfaction of discovering you. For they will soon realize that doing so.... was a big mistake._

Desmond studied the two pistols in his hands, given to him by the assassin to "protect himself" or so she said. But he knew these weapons were nothing but bringers of trouble and death. Having ran away from the life-style of fighting and killing many years ago, he had never thought he would be doing what he was about to do.

"Mr. Miles, did you hear me? I said get up."

Jumping from the sudden command, Desmond looked up from where he was sitting on the stairs to find a very irritated assassin looming over him. Even though he couldn't see the woman's entire face, chills still swept his body from the death glare he was receiving.

"Y-ya, sorry. I spaced out," he stuttered, getting to his feet.

The master assassin sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and turned away.

"We do not have time for your daydreaming," she said, pulling open the door from the stairwell to the 29th floor,

"Now you know the plan, I presume," she said, glancing behind her to see him nod, "I expect you to carry out your part or we will all be in serious trouble."

The assassin walked onto the floor and turned to leave down the hall but Desmond grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Wait! I still don't know your name," he said. She glanced down at the hand holding her arm and then back to him.

"Nina," she replied.

"Huh. Ni-"

Suddenly, he found himself lying on the ground, gasping for air with her standing over him.

"And that's so you don't forget it." Desmond couldn't help but smile as he watched Nina vanish down the hall. She reacted exactly how he had expected her to, knowing that Altair most likely would have done something similar.

Ever since Nina had come into his "cell" and told him she was here to rescue him, Desmond immediately noticed the similarities between her and his distant ancestor. They moved with the same air, walked with a confident stride, and talked in the same serious manner. Pulling himself to his feet, Desmond began walking down the way opposite of Nina which sharply turned left, leading him towards the door where the soldiers and the assassin's apprentice were located.

"Breathe, Desmond. You can do this," he told himself, gripping the guns in his hands tighter and kicked the door open.

Soldiers were packed into the room all facing away from the windows and towards the door. Behind the sea of guns and armor, stood the assassin's apprentice (Aiden?) held by two disgustingly huge guards and the smug Dr. Warren Vidic. As Desmond entered the room, there was a chorus of clicks as the soldiers trained their weapons on him, ready to riddle him with holes.

"Hold your fire! He is no use to me dead," yelled Vidic, stepping in front of the soldiers towards Desmond.

"Well, Mr. Miles, I think this game of hide-and-go-seek has gone on long enough."

"What, Doc? You don't like to play games? I guess it's understandable at your old age," commented Desmond, pleased that he could finally insult this man and get away with it.

Vidic's faced darkened. "Enough. Where is the assassin that was with you?" his voice taking a menacing tone.

"Isn't it the point of an assassin that you don't know where they are?"

"You are getting on my nerves, boy."

"Glad I could be of service," said Desmond. As he spoke, he saw movement in the ceiling above but did not risk looking just in case Doc or the soldiers would notice.

"I'm sorry, Doc, but I think you're right. Time is up." Raising his borrowed pistols, Desmond trained them onto the scientist in front of him.

Suddenly, a black form fell from the ceiling and with two extended hidden blades, Nina took down the two guards holding her apprentice. It was done with such precision, that no one noticed anything as the master assassin and her apprentice cut down several more men. Nina leaped over the soldiers to land behind Vidic and grabbed him, holding a hidden blade to his throat.

"Now the game is over," she whispered into his ear and turned so that her and her captive faced the soldiers who looked stupidly at them, not sure what to do.

"Anyone so much as move and this man is dead," Nina threatened, putting slight pressure from her blade onto the doctor's neck, drawing a small amount of blood.

"Do as she says!" yelled Vidic, his voice now panicked.

"Not so brave anymore are we, Doctor?"

Nina glanced back at Desmond behind her and jerked her head towards the windows. He took this as sign to jog over to where Aiden was, who was setting up some sort of climbing gear, as Nina followed with a still frightened Vidic.

"Aiden, you and Miles need to hook up," ordered Nina, keeping a wary eye on the anxious soldiers in front of her.

"Sorry, Nina, but I'm not that kinda guy," said the apprentice, smiling at Desmond who was trying to suppress his laughter," I don't think Desmond is either."

Nina sighed," Oh funny," she replied.

"You're not going to get away with this," choked Vidic underneath Nina's blade," We will find him and bring him back."

The master assassin let out an amused grunt," Now that's even more funny."

Within a few seconds, Aiden had Desmond and him in tight harnesses ready for... something.

_Bang!_

The glass window next him was shot out by Aiden and the ropes that connected to the harnesses were thrown out.

"Wait...We're not gonna...." said Desmond, trailing off as he looked down to see cars and people mingling.

"Yup," replied Aiden. "Please, remain in your seat at all times," he said waving his arms around like a flight attendant," Also, your cushion can be used as a floatation device."

Desmond laughed," Oh thanks for the information."

"Anytime!"

A deep rumbling sound met their ears. To Desmond it sounded like a stampede.

"Aiden! Get him out of here!" yelled Nina.

Without warning, the apprentice shoved him out of the window and jumped right after him. Desmond wanted to scream but his terror wouldn't allow him to as he held onto the rope for dear life. The night air was cold and, violently, it whipped against him, making him shiver and wonder how Aiden could stand being in short sleeves. As they descended to the half way point, gun fire erupted from where they had been previously. Desmond looked to Aiden for an explanation but he remained focused on the upcoming ground. As they landed, Aiden remained upright but as for Desmond, his legs buckle underneath him and he fell flat on his behind.

"Told ya you would need your cushion," chuckled the apprentice, helping him up.

"Where is Nina?" Desmond asked as they both looked up," Do you think she is ok?"

"This is Nina we are talking about. She is probably just fine. Look."

A dark figure, most likely Nina, jumped from the building in a perfect swan dive. Her figure blocked the setting moon and casted a dark shadow over the two men on the ground. Desmond immediately thought of Altair and the many times he had seen his ancestor do the same thing.

"Show off..."muttered Aiden.

"Wait," said Desmond, squinting his eyes to make sure they weren't fooling him," She doesn't have a harness on."

"What?!"

Nina was falling fast, her long coat whipping behind her as she plunged head first. The two men looked on in horror as she plummeted down. Suddenly, she grabbed Desmond's and Aiden's ropes in an attempt to slow her down and, fortunately for her, it worked. Gradually, she began to slow and touched down to the ground softly. Both Desmond and Aiden looked at her with wide eyes and couldn't help but notice that she was breathing hard and somewhat shaky in her hands.

"You didn't know that was going to work, did you?" questioned Aiden, looking at her incredulously as he removed his harness and prompted Desmond to do the same.

Nina raised her hand and wiped cold swear from her brow as she replied.

"No, I did not.... I took a leap of faith."

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**Side notes:**

The part where Nina flips Desmond on his back and says "And that's so you don't forget it" was a spin off from Kingdom of Heaven when Balian's father smacks him after he takes his oath.


	3. Chapter 3

_ Nina, there is two types of failure as you engage yourself in a mission. One is the failure to complete it and two is the failure to not go about it in the proper manner. As an assassin, we must be flexible and inflexible. We must accept if a mission does not go as planned and be willing to change our original ways but _never _leave a mission uncompleted.... Unless you're dead, of course._

Buildings of all shades and sizes passed by as Nina drove at much too high of speed. The engine of the car roared as Nina shifted down a gear and took an abnormally sharp turn.

"Whoa!" shouted Desmond as he flopped around in the back seat.

"Dude, I'd get your seat belt on if I were you," suggested Aiden, looking fully relaxed with his feet propped up on the dashboard as he listened to his IPod.

"Or maybe SHE," jabbing his finger in Nina's direction," should learn how to drive better!"

"I beg your pardon," interjected Nina, shifting gears," but I am an excellent driver. I just have a weakness for speed."

"Oh, great! Instead of dying from a gunshot we're gonna get in an accident!"

"Hey, do you want to listen to some music?" asked Aiden, holding out an earphone," I think it will help with your little panic attack."

"No! How can you listen to music at a time like this?"

"Easy."

The master assassin had only half her mind on the road and her companions bickering, while the other half was going over their tragically executed mission. Yes, they had retrieved Desmond Miles but their orders were to secure him "discreetly". Not only did they get discovered but the escape plan didn't even go right. After their rather obnoxious flight from Abstergo and several blocks later, Nina had quickly found an abandoned car. Breaking into it, she threw Desmond in the back and hot-wired the car. Nina's original plan, however, was less complicated and had never involved a car. She planned on traveling by foot to their temporary hideout but seeing as the enemy wasn't far behind, they needed a faster mode of transportation. Which brought her to the question, how did the Templers find out they were coming? Lucy wasn't a traitor and Nina had been specifically informed that the cameras in the building were looping old footage, making her and her apprentice practically invisible. Nina tapped the steering wheel in irritation and in disappointment in herself. In her mind, they had failed miserably.

Nina drove to the outskirts of the city, a place usually not busy with people coming and going. She slammed on the brakes as she came to an abandoned street with only small naked trees and mounds of trash for company. As she did, a loud thump resounds from the backseat.

"Y'know! I am really getting sick of you doing that!" came a muffle voice somewhere near the floor.

Nina peered in the back and found Desmond lying face down on the car floor, somehow wedged in-between the front and back seats.

"Well, you should have been wearing your seat belt," she replied, turning from the man and exiting the vehicle.

"Hey, wait!"

The night air was cool against Nina's skin, chilling the sweat she had previously exerted and bringing a slight shiver down her body. The night had always been a trusted friend of Nina's. It soothed her mind and kept her focused, not to mention the bonus of hiding her from unwanted eyes. A slight breeze toyed with her coat tails, soundlessly blowing them about her feet. Closing her own emerald eyes, she breathed deeply and listened hard to the surrounding environment, searching for the sound of cars or wandering people. After a moment, the scuffing of tennis shoes and the solid footfalls of combat boots behind her alerted her that Aiden had successfully dislodged Desmond from the car floor.

"Are we ready to continue?" Nina asked, turning towards the two men.

Aiden nodded as Desmond simply shrugged.

"Good." She turned and started down the street.

"Hey, didn't we just come from this way?" asked Desmond, jogging to walk beside her.

"Yes, we did. We passed our destination a little while ago," Nina replied, turning into an alley that had a strong smell of decomposing trash and rotten flesh," But I needed to dispose of the car first."

"Can I ask you something then, since we have some time?" Desmond questioned, putting his sleeve to his nose to relieve it from the vile stench.

"I don't see what's stopping you."

"Okay, then. Do you know who Altair is?"

Nina's brow furrowed in confusion, curious as to why he asked. Did he mean....

"Altair Ibn-La-Ahad?" she questioned.

"Ya!" Desmond exclaimed, now suddenly excited as they exited the alley onto yet another abandoned street.

"Oh, _that _Altair?" said Aiden," Who doesn't know him. He is one of the most awesome assassins ever!"

"Why do you ask?" said Nina, ignoring her apprentice's childish remark.

"Well, you remind me a lot of him," Desmond explained," You both move and talk in the same manner."

"How do you know what he moves and talks like?" asked Aiden, voicing Nina's own question.

"He's my ancestor and when I---"

He stopped as Nina suddenly halted in mid-step and turned sharply towards Desmond.

"What?" he asked slightly worried at the intense look Nina was giving him.

Nina ignored him and instead really looked at Desmond Miles for the first time.

He was of a tall, medium build with dark hair and dark eyes to match. His face held rough stubble, evidence that he had not shaved for a while. His clothes were plain and boring but all of these details, however noticeable, mattered not to the master assassin. What Nina was looking for was the signs of a well-trained, well-tuned assassin, which he held none of. His muscular build, to be frank, was weak. Desmond most likely couldn't lift his own laundry without straining his back. His hands looked well preserved and smooth, not callused or scarred like the hands of a killer. Actually, his skin all together seemed like unto a baby's: no blemishes, bruises, or scars save one that stretch over his lips. How could he be a descendant of one of the greatest assassin's of all time and not be one?

"What?" Desmond asked again.

"Nothing," Nina murmured and turned away, continuing down the street. Desmond looked to Aiden for an answer but he appeared just has confused as Desmond.

"Hey! What was that all about?" he said, a little more impatient this time.

"Not here. We must get you to the hideout before we speak anymore," she said.

Suddenly, Nina heard the swish of clothing and the soft pad of feet. Clearing her mind of any thoughts, her vision shifted, revealing several red auras traveling down a nearby street about to turn on to their path. Nina motioned to the two men behind her and ducked into a nearby alleyway. Following her movements, Aiden grabbed Desmond and pulled him into the shadows, covering his mouth to keep him from speaking. The footfalls became louder and more numerous and a small band of soldiers passed by, all bearing the sign of Abstergo. Again, annoyance welled up inside her. The Templers were getting better at tracking her kind and it was getting dangerous. When had the tides of this war change so drastically?

"What do we do now, Nina?" whispered Aiden," They've already caught up with us."

Nina stared thoughtfully at the opposite wall and then looked up. There, on the other side, was a fire escape.

"To the roofs."

The trio traveled as quickly and quietly as possible, the night providing shadows and strange noises to hide their flight. However, to Desmond, such a feat as silence was utterly impossible for him to comprehend. Constantly stumbling over the uneven terrain, both Nina and Aiden had at least saved him once from falling over the edge and becoming a pancake.

"Pick up your feet!" hissed Nina, as Desmond, once again, almost met the concrete with his face.

"Well, excuse me," puffed Desmond, doubling over in pain and holding the stitch in his side," but running all over rooftops is not part of my daily routine!"

"Dude, ever heard of something called the gym?" commented Aiden, walking up and putting a hand on Desmond's back," It can be very useful at times like these."

"Shut up!"

"Silence or we'll be caught!" snarled Nina who was pretty close to slaughtering both of them," You can continue your little gossip time when we are at the hideout. Now, come. We are almost there."

Desmond groaned but reluctantly continued following Nina as she continued on the treacherous rooftops.

After what seemed like hours, Nina finally stopped at the ledge of a bleak building. Crouching low, she peered over the edge. Nothing moved but raged newspapers and trash blown by the wind. Nina motioned to Aiden and in response he lifted a trapdoor leading into the building. Desmond leaned over the opening, expecting to see cool gadgets and things seen on spy movies, maybe even a guard dog. But all he saw was darkness.

"See ya in side," said Aiden, saluting him and jumping into the abyss.

Nina turned away from the street below to find Desmond looking anxiously into the trapdoor.

"Are you going to jump or stare at it all night?" she asked.

"Um… I think I'll sit here for a little while longer," he responded, his eyes never leaving the dark hole before him.

The master assassin sighed and walked up behind the man.

"Move," she muttered and shoved Desmond forward. He was so surprised that he didn't even have time to shout. He closed his eyes, not the wisest move but it made him feel better, as he plunged downward. Nina watched from above, expecting to hear a loud cacophony of noises and see a jumbled heap on the ground that would be Desmond. What came next, however, slightly surprised her. As his feet met the ground, he rolled and fluently stood on his feet. Not a sound was made. Nina was slightly disappointed but more so, confused as to the nature of this man.

Grabbing the trapdoor, Nina closed it as she fell forward. The few seconds of nothingness passed by, stirring the expected anxiety in the pit of her stomach. As her feet hit the floor she performed the same move as Desmond, only staying low in a crouch instead of standing.

"Where'd she go?" questioned Desmond. He was still unable to see unlike Nina and Aiden, who were used to functioning without light.

"Right behind ya, bro," said Aiden, walking over to a lamp and turned it on.

The artificial light dimly lit the room but it was enough now for Desmond to see. It looked, to his disappointment, normal. There was a desk and a table with chairs along with a faded armchair in the corner.

"This looks nothing like what I pictured…" he muttered. Aiden only smiled at Desmond and then pointed behind him. He turned and immediately took back what he said.

On the wall was a huge plasma screen connected to smaller computers and a keyboard on a desk below. On either side of the desk was tables laden with weapons that both looked familiar and unfamiliar. Nina was bent over the keyboard, typing away, but stopped when she felt Desmond's eyes upon her and turned. She had pulled back her hood and he was taken aback at what he saw. He had imagined this battle-hardened warrior woman that had masculine features and was as brutish as man. But instead he looked at a lean woman with olive skin and dark brown (almost black) hair. The only thing that stayed true to his early prediction was a mean looking scar on the right-side of her face that started at her temple and jaggedly made its way down to her jaw.

He continued to stare and Nina steadily became more annoyed by the minute.

"Take a picture. It will last longer," she said, snapping him out of his daze and making him splutter.

"Sorry… I just--You're not what I expect…" he mumbled, avoiding her gaze.

Nina's eyes narrow, her curiosity piqued. "What is it you were expecting?" she questioned, raising a brow.

"It's nothing. Just forget it," he said, looking even more nervous as he shuffled his feet.

"No, tell. Humor me…" her expression becoming fierce as he continued denying her.

"I—"

"Well, I'm gonna show Desmond around!" interrupted Aiden, slapping Desmond on the back and leading him away. Nina's sharp gaze followed the two men as they exited the room.

"Thanks," sighed Desmond in relief.

"Ah! Don't worry about it," said Aiden as he lead him down the hall," I only wish I had someone there to stop me from tellin her what I imagined her to be…" Aiden winced at the thought.

"What did she do?"

"You don't wanna know…"

This chapter took a lot longer for me to write than it should have…

Anyway! Thanks Mandy543 for reviewing!

Please read and review.


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